An I.S. (individual section) machine has a plurality of identical sections (a section frame in which and on which are mounted a number of section mechanisms) each of which has a blank station which receives one or more gobs of molten glass and forms them into parisons having a threaded opening at the bottom (the finish) and a blow station which receives the parisons and forms them into bottles standing upright with the finish at the top. An invert and neck ring holder mechanism which includes an opposed pair of arms, rotatable about an invert axis, carries the parisons from the blank station to the blow station inverting the parisons from a finish down to a finish up orientation in the process. A bottle formed at the blow station is removed from the section by a takeout mechanism.
The blank station includes opposed pairs of blank molds. These molds are displaceable between open (separated) and closed positions. The blank mold is open at the top and a track delivers a gob, by gravity, down to a position vertically above the open mold. Where the bottle to be formed is not circular in cross section (square for example) a funnel, which has a square passage, can be displaced into position over the open top of the blank mold to direct the gob into the mold, slightly changing its shape in the process. With the gob in the blank mold, a baffle of a baffle mechanism can be displaced down onto the funnel to supply air under pressure to the blank mold to "settle" the gob in the blank mold. The funnel and baffle are then removed and the baffle is repositioned on top of the open blank mold. Now, either counterblow air is introduced into the mold to blow the gob into the mold (a blow and blow machine) or a plunger is advanced to press the gob into the mold (a press and blow machine). Air trapped between the outer surface of the gob and the inner surface of the blank mold will be forced out of suitable notches in the bottom surface of the baffle. When the parison has been formed, the baffle will be removed as the blank mold opens, and the parison will be transferred to the blow station. When a gob doesn't have to be shaped, the funnel may be dispensed with and the baffle may be immediately positioned on top of the blank mold to start the settling process.
In a state of the art baffle of this type, a central piston hangs from the bottom of the baffle to define a large central opening for settle air. When counterblow occurs the upward movement of the gob engages and pushes this piston upwardly to its home position where the bottom of the piston is flush with the bottom surface of the baffle. Bottles made in this way have a visible circular ridge on the bottom of the bottle and this is undesirable.